Paul George: Thunder can ‘definitely’ have ‘pretty explosive’ offense

Friday night’s game against the visiting Hawks is an important one for the Thunder, on a number of levels.

First and foremost, the team will have an opportunity to improve to two games above .500 for the first time this season. The game also happens to be the first of a back-to-back set and a three games in four nights stretch.

The Hawks enter play on December 22 as the worst team in the league and should certainly qualify as “beatable,” even for a team that has struggled to find its own consistency.

Atlanta also happens to be just 7-24, with a 3-13 road record.

On Saturday, the Thunder will travel to Salt Lake City to battle the Jazz and then host the Rockets on Christmas—two tough games.

Winning on Friday night would get the team off on the right foot and also help the club improve upon its 8-3 record for the month of December.

To this point, the team has done it mostly with their defense, but their recent winning ways also happen to be occurring during the midst of their offense seeming to find its rhythm, with Russell Westbrook leading the way.

“I still think we have the chance to do both—to be a high scoring offensive team, as well as a team that’s gonna grind you down on the defensive end,” George said after practice on Thursday.

“We’ve yet to come to that offensive side yet, but we’re definitely a team that can be pretty explosive offensively.”

That’s been apparent over the past three games for Westbrook, whose averaging 29 points on 59 percent shooting from the field during the stretch.

Still, George’s comments about the offense came after he explained that a top-notch defense is what he wants to bring to the Thunder most.

“I definitely wanted to bring defense here,” George said.

“I know what level that you have to play at and what you need to bring from a player and a team standpoint and this team has all the characteristics,” he said. “I think we’re right on schedule where we need to be defensively.”

With the team trailing the Timberwolves by just 1.5 games for the fourth seed out West, the Thunder have managed to stay afloat and now look to take advantage of a few winnable games over the coming weeks.

It all begins with Friday night’s matchup against the Hawks, though. That’s one the team needs to get.

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